Just a quick question for anyone that has applied for service records, on the info pack it said it can take anything up to 7 months. How quick did it take yours to come back?
Kieron, my dads took one week only, it depends on how much info you can supply, ie; serv no, reg etc etc. Ken.
Tom, plus any other. part of my dads service can you please help to decipher, as i can't work out what regiment he was in. Ken.
Next page, I'm interested in about posted to 11 RTR for 2 ARG & SCS HQ, I know he was in 'A' Sqn of that Reg, from a letter. Ken.
Cheers Ken I gave them loads of info, army no, death cert, CWGC cert etc...etc...so hopefuly fingers crossed it shouldn't take to long. Cheers Kieron
Ken - I see what you mean but it's not too difficult - so far - but I'll have good look and get back to you later... Cheers
ken - her is my take on your Dad's service record... Ken’s service records of his Dad page 1 May ’42 – Bovington 52nd Training regiment for draft to Middle East – probably Greenock via Liverpool At sea – around the Cape – Durban – Port Tewfik – Egypt 28th June ’42 – Disembarked Port Tewfik 24th July ’42 – Posted to HQ – 9th Armoured bde – at that time Brig Currie – Warwickire yeo – Wiltshire yeo – 3rd Hussars 17th October ’42 – ( 6 days before main El Alamein battle) – hospitalised as well as they had 75 % losses – then the Brigade was sent to Syria to recuperate Funny one here catching up with records as he went to Staff School at Bovvy on 3rd April ‘42 Another funny one as there is a big gap between leaving hospital on ? to the X reserve ( unemployed list) of 4th Armoured Bde…? Which was made official on 1sy July ‘ 3 ‘ 43 - so where was he ??? 27th Aug ’43 he was in Sicily – who with ? – possibly 4th armoured Bde at that time was composed of – 3rd Co of London Yeo – Scots Geys and 44th RTR after being SOS ( struck offstrength) of Middle Eas forcesF ( British North African force) and obviously to Central Mediterranian Force – although it doesn’t say so Then the dates get mixed up as he appears to be posted to 7th Armoured Div X ( unemployed list) again….. 7th Jan ’44 – this is about right as 7th Armoured div went home and so he was SOS ( struck off strength of BNAF to Uk 31st Jan ’44 – Awarded Africa Star 25th Feb ’44 – Granted Long Service and Good conduct Medal with the massive sum of 3old pence per whole day ! WOW ! Then he was back to the unemployed list once more …. Page two starts very badly F rom the X unemployed list of 7th Armoured Div now in the U K probably at Thetford… he is awarded ( love that expression ) 28 days in the field punishment centre on the 1st april ’44 – for conduct to the predudice of good order in that he misused a vehicle !!! probably bored stupid by this time being unemployed by everyone Later he was embarked to Nw Europe and joined 11th Royal Tank Regiment which would explain his RTR badges. The he went unemployed once more and finished up in 74th Brit gen Hospital where they found that he was no longer for purpose – and they threw him out on Class “a” release. Probably glad to see the back of him really – quite the old soldier Cheers
ken - further to the service records - the 11th RTR was part of the 79th Division with their "funnies" of Crocodiles - Buffalos and it was Buffalo of C"quadron that fferried Mr Churchill over the Rhine on his visit there in early '45 cheers
Tom, I am most indebted to you for your diligent investigation of my dads record, I would never have got there without your help, must now sit back and compare your info with his records, plenty of ? marks I note. Once again many many thanks. Ken.
tom, i also note that Ron Goldstein was posted to Class 'A' Release, does that meant he was also thrown out? and glad to see the back of him. Ken.
Ken - you are more than welcome - they are somewhat sloppy but in some cases excusable inasmuch as many of these records are written up by an extremely harrassed squadron clerk - with a tuppeny scratchy pen and ink bottle - who then has to catch a less than exhausted officer to sign them - consequently with all the movements to and fro - things get pushed under the various carpets - but I have seen worse records and this one was easy to understand - so Good Luck with the rest of them. He was a fairly typical old soldier though - managed to get by without any undue hassle by the look of things - finally caught up with the 28 days in the glasshouse sentence which just happened to be served within the squadron lines - that took great skill....... Cheers
Ken - no- no - no ! that was the standard release in those days - there were various types - Ron was not required for further service but I was on Class 'A' / XT which meant that I could be recalled until my 50th birthday I think it was - they did "invite" me back to the Inns of Court Regiment (Armoured Cars) for the Korea thing - thankfully my old wounds kicked in and thus I was deprived the luxury of that country's police action - at the Suez (1956/7) thing they did send a note to the effect that I was no longer required and so we took off for Canada in case they changed their minds..... in the case of your Father - I would suspect that he rigged the hospitlisation in Germany in '45 and conned some doctor to say he was less than A1 - and thus no longer fit for purpose...you really had to watch these old soldiers ! Frank Mee (REME) tells the tale of the bad winter in Durham in '47 when he was sent into the hills to dig out trains with a bunch of old soldiers - their truck was packed with all the necessary food - drink etc for a day's work . They arrived after a two hour trip through the snow to discover - shock horror - they had forgotten the shovels - very strange - I was in that lot awaiting demob ! Cheers
Tom, I will get back to you on this, as my father was in the special constable after the war. By the way my dad nicked the veichle to take my mum out, so i am lead to believe, (by my mum , afer my dad had passed away) what a day to do it, (Aprril fools day 1944), trouble his he got court. They got married shortly after that, 22 May 1944. Ken
Ken, Glad you received your fathers records so quickly and have had them translated. I have sent off for my fathers last week and hope that the waiting list is not too long! We shall wait and see. Regards Tom
tom, i also note that Ron Goldstein was posted to Class 'A' Release, does that meant he was also thrown out? and glad to see the back of him. Ken. ken, could you enlighten me on what you meant by "... and glad to see the back of him"?
Quote: Originally Posted by ken griffin tom, i also note that Ron Goldstein was posted to Class 'A' Release, does that meant he was also thrown out? and glad to see the back of him. Ken. ken, could you enlighten me on what you meant by "... and glad to see the back of him"? __________________ British Formation Signs Hi Peter ! I actually did wonder about that myself but was afraid to ask Simply to keep the record straight , I show below the sheet of my Army Records that gives my official character, presumably to offer to a prospective employer. To save you enlarging it it transcribes as follows : Military Conduct: Exemplary This man has been Technical Cpl. in his Squadron for some time and has executed his duties efficiently. He will be a great loss to the Squadron, always cheerful, hardworking and his efficiency at his work is quite outstanding Cheers Ron
My dear Peter & Ron - if you have been keeping up with this thread you will have noted that the term "and probably glad to see the back of him" was used in a jocular sense in my message of # 7 and again in message # 11 in reference to Ken's father as being " quite the old soldier" - there was no insult intended to any other party and I feel sure that Ken might agree with my characterisation of his Father - however if in fact Ken did take umbrage then I am quite sure that he will be big enough to say so and accept my most humble apologies for using such terms as that was my summary of his service life on translating his service records - particularly page two in which a Miltary vehicle was stolen for the express purpose of dating Ken's future Mother - and the subsequent punishment was 28 days field punishment which was apparently served in squadron lines as opposed to the "glasshouse" - my comment of that was that it took great skill - which I feel sure that you might agree and that it would be commensurate with both of your own personal experiences in dealing with "old soldiers". and I thought that my disclaimer of message # 12 would have carried that message to all...memo to self .....no more jocular remarks...! Cheers
Ron, Peter, Tom. My sincere apology if my post upset anyone, must admit I did take some resentment at the statement made, but was only making a comparsion with what Ron posted on BBC WW2 people's war site. there is no way i would make a derogatory remark of any WW2 Veteran (as i was not around) if they aren't about, then i probably wouldn't be. I took Tom's statement out of context, and not the way it was meant. Ron, my Dads record also has Military Conduct , as Exemplary the rest nearly the same as yours. As a matter of interest I joined this site to learn from guys like you, as my Dad didn't speak of the war, only that he drove tanks. Hope this in some way settles the matter. Once again my apology. Ken.
Ken Griffin - Sorry to learn that you took my remarks out of context - It can happen as some of us have a different sense of humour to others who have very little - I can only reiterate my apologies for my remarks and can only plead great knowledge of the wiles of old soldiers in avoiding things. In the main - we WW2 veterans set out to assist others who find themselves in difficulties in understanding the times and lives in that period of war and many to my knowledge, have ceased owing to others keeping their misunderstandings to themselves instead of challenging a particular situation at the time. Therefore your posting in helping to clear up that particular problem is welcomed by myself and trust that the rest of my translation of your father's service is in accord with your perceptions of him, since you could not know him at the time, and I am only reading an official account of his service at that time. he was indeed - in my view - truly an "Old Soldier" Cheers
